Reach Stackers Shipping
A reach stacker drives aboard a RoRo ship whole, with the boom lowered and the spreader retracted. It is too wide, tall and heavy for containers or a single flat rack.
Overview
Reach stackers and laden container handlers are built to lift full containers, so they are heavy, long at the boom and wide at the drive axle. With the boom fully lowered and the spreader retracted, they are still far beyond a container door and above the roughly 39,000 kg payload of a 40 ft flat rack, so they ship by RoRo.
A running reach stacker drives aboard at Baltimore, Brunswick or Houston where a lane serves the destination, and the carrier charges by its length, height and weight. Some carriers limit the axle load on their ramps, so the manufacturer's axle loads are checked against the ship before booking.
Where no RoRo lane runs, the machine goes as breakbulk, lifted at the points the manufacturer marks, sometimes with the spreader shipped separately.
We have no reach stackers in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. Kalmar, Hyster and other makers publish transport dimensions and axle loads for each model, and every quote starts from those figures and photos of the machine.
Send the make, model, serial number and the rated capacity at the first row. Ask the seller for the transport drawing, which gives the stowed dimensions and lift points. Drain fuel to the carrier's limit and disconnect the batteries before the port.
Cost depends on the machine's dimensions with the boom lowered. RoRo is priced by the cubic metres of the unit's length, width and height, so a long boom adds cost even when it is lowered. Breakbulk is priced by weight or volume, whichever is greater.
Typical Specifications
| Capacity | Up to 45 metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 4.0m - 4.5m |
| Transport Height | 4.0m - 4.7m (boom lowered) |
| Weight | 60 - 75+ metric tons |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Kalmar DRG450-65S5, boom lowered: 37 ft 1 in / 11.3 m long, 13 ft 7 in / 4.15 m wide, 15 ft 1 in / 4.6 m high, 79 US tons / 72,000 kg.
The ladder below is worked out from these figures. Larger or smaller units of the same type can land on a different rung.
Cheapest first: the shipping cost ladder
We price every machine from the bottom rung up. A machine only moves up a rung when a measurement rules out the cheaper method.
Kalmar DRG450-65S5, boom lowered weighs 79 US tons / 72,000 kg, over a flat rack’s 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg payload, so it drives or tows aboard a RoRo vessel.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
When: Fits through a 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 8 ft 6 in / 2.58 m door and under 59,500 lb / 27,000 kg, whole or after we take off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels.
- Rung 2
Flat rack
Mid cost
When: Too wide or tall for a container door, but within 14 ft 9 in / 4.5 m wide, 13 ft 1 in / 4 m tall and 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg on one rack.
- Rung 3
RoRo
Mid cost
Best fit for Kalmar DRG450-65S5, boom lowered
When: Drives or tows aboard, under 19 ft 8 in / 6 m tall and 110 US tons / 100,000 kg, going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
- Rung 4
Breakbulk
Highest cost
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedWhere vessel deck height and ramp capacity allow.
Breakbulk / Heavy Lift
RecommendedCommon for these heavy, tall machines.
Heavy Haul Trucking
RecommendedPermitted inland transport to the port.
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Handling & Preparation Requirements
- Lower and secure the telescopic boom and spreader
- Confirm ramp and deck capacity for RoRo
- Reduce fluids and disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Plan lashing for the high center of gravity
- Document hours and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Kalmar DRG / DRF reach stackers
- Hyster RS45/RS46 series
- Konecranes SMV reach stackers
- Liebherr LRS reach stackers
- Sany / CVS Ferrari handlers
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build reach stackers, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where reach stackers shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on reach stackers bookings, and what avoids them.
- At over 4 m wide, a reach stacker needs escorted oversize road permits for the move to port, which take weeks in some US states and must be in hand before the vessel cut-off.
- The spreader rotates and tilts on the boom head, so it is pinned against rotation and lowered onto a cradle, or it swings at sea and damages the head bearings.
- Used reach stackers often have telematics and load-moment systems tied to the seller's fleet account, so the system is transferred or reset, or the buyer cannot read fault codes on arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a reach stacker ship by RoRo?
Often yes, but their height and weight require confirming the vessel ramp and deck capacity; breakbulk is a common alternative.
Is the boom removed?
The boom is lowered and secured; full removal is rarely required.
Do you ship empty container handlers too?
Yes, empty and laden container handlers are both within our scope.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Seaway Project Cargo: about the company, checked October 22, 2026
- [2]Seaway Project Cargo country shipping guides, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
Import Duty & Tax Estimator
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Dimensional Weight Calculator
Work out chargeable weight before you book.
Container Space Calculator
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Route Finder
Load port, sailings, duty and rules for a machine and destination.
Ready to Ship Your Reach Stackers?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote reach stackers by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.